Although I applaud the recent scientific breakthrough of the three-parent technique, I am appalled by the exploitation of legal loopholes overseas by fertility doctors ("Birth of '3-parent baby' sparks debate, hopes"; Thursday).

Because this technique is currently banned in the United States, it was performed abroad in Mexico, which lacks regulations on such procedures.

I hope that Singaporean fertility doctors will not follow such an example, by performing banned fertility procedures abroad, such as commercialised egg donation, surrogacy, sex selection, social egg freezing and pre-implantation genetic screening.

It should also be made mandatory for doctors here to declare their financial interests in overseas medical institutions that perform procedures that are banned in Singapore.

New regulations should therefore be put in place to prevent exploitation of legal loopholes abroad.

Alexis Heng Boon Chin (Dr)